


Payback

by SueN



Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-03-02 17:38:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18815776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SueN/pseuds/SueN
Summary: Written for a VinList Magnificent Monday Picture Fic Challenge.Vin makes a point.





	Payback

       

 

Ezra shifted on his haunches, trying and failing to find a comfortable position.

"How long should we continue to watch for pursuit?"

Vin showed no sign of having heard the question, keeping his eyes steadfastly fixed on the trail.

Ezra sighed.

"I find your petulant attitude disappointing, Mr Tanner." The gambler brushed an imaginary speck of dust from his sleeve and turned to regard his still silent companion. "I had not imagined you to be the kind of man to carry a grudge."

"An' I never figured you to be stupid," Vin replied drily, still watching the trail, "seems we were both wrong."

"I resent that," the gambler objected softly.

Silence.

Ezra took a breath.

"The man was cheating."

"You're good enough that you coulda still beaten him."

Ezra winced.

"The man was cheating, _badly_."

And that was the issue, really. A cheat who lacked the skills to apply the craft proficiently, who failed to provide a challenge to his own well-honed skills, was an offence to Ezra's sensibilities and he'd been unable to resist calling the man out.

The outcome was, he had to admit, unforeseen and unfortunate.

Ezra sighed ... again.

"I made a regrettable error of judgement."

Finally, Vin turned his head to meet Ezra's gaze. "You sayin' you were wrong?"

"In hindsight, yes. And I am sorry to have embroiled you in the repercussions of my actions."

"Fair 'nough." Vin gave a tight nod and stood up, sliding his mare's leg into its holster.

Relieved, Ezra also stood, grimacing as his knees cracked in protest.

"Are you satisfied that we are no longer being followed?" he asked, reluctant to take his eyes off the trail as Vin turned on his heel and headed back to the patch of scrub where they'd ground-tied their horses.

"Ain't nobody been followin' us for a while now," Vin replied, gathering up Peso's reins and swinging lithely into the saddle.

"Then why have we been squatting in the dust, watching for...." Ezra's voice trailed off as realisation dawned. "This was your idea of pay-back wasn't it?"

"Yep," Vin agreed with a smirk as he watched Ezra snatch up Chaucer's reins and climb into the saddle.  "I was plannin' on a couple more beers and a hot meal 'fore you got us run out of town."

"That was not my intention."

"Reckon not," Vin conceded, "but next time you decide to accuse a fella of cheatin' in a strange town, you might wanna check first that he ain't related to half the folks in the saloon ... and the sheriff."

"Of course." Ezra rolled his eyes as they started the horses toward the trail. "In future, I shall request details of the lineage of any person wishing to join my table."

"You bein' a mite pet-u-lant there, Ez?"

"Not at all, I was engaging in irony. Petulance refers to the act of sulking, or descending into a sour mood, whereas irony is a form of sarcasm, often humorous and mocking in nature ... "

Vin closed his eyes, allowing the combination of his horse's even gait and Ezra's smooth drawl to lull him to a state of relaxation that he hoped would last until they reached Four Corners ... or he may just have to shoot his friend yet.

 

~~~


End file.
